They were once the only form of mass transit, but do streetcars have a future?

The New York Times suggests no, they don't, after Arlington, Virginia, and the District of Columbia dropped plans for their streetcar networks.

"Just a few years ago, the streetcar revival was all the rage in cities across the country. Portland, Ore., seemingly set the trend with its 11.5-mile system, which opened in 2001 and was said to spur economic development while carrying 16,000 passengers on weekdays," the article said. "Yet as several cities inaugurate new systems or expand older ones, the streetcar revolution, facing fiscal and operational challenges, has stalled elsewhere. Last July, San Antonio abandoned its planned streetcar system after changing mayors, reallocating the $92 million it had set aside."

The streetcar debate has landed in Spokane as of late, thanks to discussions around the trolley-like vehicle on the Central City Line, which is part of the plan voters will consider next month. In fact, a streetcar is not in the works. Instead, the line will be either a trolleybus powered by overhead wires, or a bus that looks like a streetcar but has rubber wheels and a huge battery. (That said, the proposed vehicle has morphed over the years, so people can be forgiven for their confusion.)

What do you think? Are streetcars a thing of the past? Or a way to the future?